Fresh water is the essence of life on Earth; three quarters of this essence is bound in the ice of the polar regions.

Polar ice reflects light from the sun before it can be absorbed and heat the Earth. It regulates our planet's temperature, cooling the sea and helping it absorb oxygen. This then nourishes the ocean life on which the fish, birds, and mammals of those regions depend. The welfare of these creatures is a measure of the health of life on Earth.

Cooler Arctic and Antarctic waters help drive the ocean currents that give us the global climate we need to survive.

Rainforests can be thought of as the lungs of the Earth. Polar ice can be thought of as its heart, the pump that drives the Earth’s fluid circulation.

Since 2005, Ira Meyer has made 13 trips to Antarctica and the Arctic. His photographs from these journeys have graced the cover of National Geographic and won an award in the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

ICE At the Ends of the Earth is a compilation of 150 of his favorite images taken on these voyages.